Your Co-op

Central England Co-operative releases new research into the most popular products among its shoppers at Easter

Central England Co-operative has revealed some of its best-selling Easter lines – while also revealing some rather surprising products which tend to peak in popularity over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.

New research conducted by the retailer drawn from data from over 200 food stores reveals the best-selling products across the Easter period in 2018 and it’s no surprise that Cadbury’s Crème Eggs and Mini Eggs were high up the list, while hot cross buns, crumpets and daffodils helped fill out the rest of the top 10 most popular purchases.

A closer look at sales of Easter eggs revealed that Cadbury’s remains out front as the best seller, with Central England Co-op customers particularly enjoying Crème Egg and Mini Egg variants, with only Kit Kat breaking the Cadbury dominance.

The research also reveals a number of products which enjoy a sharp spike in sales over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend as shoppers make last minute purchases.

The research does also reveal a jump in sales for flowers and particularly alcohol across the weekend in 2018 compared to figures from 2017, suggesting families are increasingly making Easter a bank holiday long event with shoppers picking up a bottle of fizz and a bunch of flowers on the way to family gatherings.

The rising popularity of free-from products and premium own label items is also highlighted in the research suggesting that what shoppers want from their Easter products is changing.

The retailers’ gluten free sales were up 20% over the Easter weekend in 2018 compared to 2017, while free-from sales were up 38%.

The research shows that sales of Co-op Irresistible products were also up 14% in 2018 suggesting people are happy to spend a bit more for something that bit more special and unique.

Central England Co-operative is proud of its reputation for ethical business practices and corporate responsibility. It is a member of Business in the Community, the membership organisation that stands for responsible business, and has also won many business awards for excellence. The Society supports a number of charities including Dementia UK and invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities.

Becoming a member of Central England Co-operative offers a whole host of benefits ranging from collecting points every time you spend in store to earn a share of the profits, access to members activities and community initiatives including the Community Dividend Fund, which hands out grants of up to £5,000 to charities and good causes across the Society’s trading estate.

Find out how to become a Central England Co-operative member by calling 0800 0501 601, emailing members@centralengland.coop or visiting https://www.members.coop

For more information visit www.centralengland.coop, follow Central England Co-operative on Twitter: @mycoopfood, and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative

Rob Smyth and James Brindle at Central England Co-operative on 01543 421390